A volunteer recruitment campaign
as part of a tour of universities kicked off Wednesday at the
University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli in Caserta.
The tour is being conducted by the organizing committee for
the 2019 Summer Universiade, which will be held in Naples and
other provinces in the Campania region from July 3 until July
14, 2019.
There are two main aims. The first is to inform students
about an event that is second only to the Olympics in terms of
size - with 18 sports, just under 11,000 athletes, and 170
nations represented.
The second is to recruit 10,000 volunteers to welcome the
delegations and look after them as well as ensuring the
efficiency of the organization of the event.
"Without volunteers," said Annamaria Monca, human resources
chief within the commission structure, "it is impossible to
organize an event like this. Registration for would-be
volunteers has been possible on the Universiade website since
yesterday. I would encourage all students not to miss out on
this chance, since it will not come around again."
Massimiliano Mandia, an archer from Salerno who is on the
Italian national team with four Universiades and four world
university championships under his belt, talked about how it is
"wonderful to take part in such an event, in which so many
different cultures come together".
The archery finals are expected to take place in Reggia di
Caserta.
Pietro D'Angelo, who won the Italian taekwondo university
championships recently and who is a nursing student at the
university, said that "the Universiade will be an important
event both for our territory and for the sport itself".
Vanvitelli rector Massimo Paolisso, flanked by his delegate
for the Universiade, Katherine Esposito, said that "the
university will take part not only in providing volunteers, It
will also have a healthcare office under the hospital's
responsibility that will help athletes involved in Caserta. The
Universiade will be an opportunity that Caserta must take
advantage of."
Francesco Massidda, deputy prefect of the organizing
commission, said that he was confident that the organizational
system would be "fully up and running by summer".
"Certainly," he added, "stock will be taken after two or
three months. There are the funds and the works in 64 facilities
- in 24 municipalities - that will be hosting the training and
competitions are beginning."
"It is true that we will have to organize an event in 15
months that would actually need five years to do so," Massidda
said. "But we must do it and we will manage."
The Spaniard Roberto Outerino Ouceda - director of the Sport
and Organization section of the organizing committee, has a past
in the NBA and the International Association of Athletics
Federations (IAAF) and was the pupil of Primo Nebiolo - screened
a video promoting Naples and Campania.
"This is what we sold to the world," he said. "Now we have to
prove that we are able to organize such a special event. The
athletes must return home with beautiful memories. This is why I
am asking students to become volunteers. I also began my career
as sports manager by volunteering at the Winter Universiade held
years ago in Spain. This experience opened up a career to me
that I would not have expected."
Several other similar events will be held in other Campania
region universities.
The committee will be back in Caserta after the summer to
report on important details such as the location of the athletes
village and where the volunteers will be staying, many of whom
will come from abroad.
Stock will also be taken of the works on facilities such as
the Palavignola and Stadio Pinto of Caserta, the Bisceglie
stadium and the PalaJacazzi of Aversa.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © Copyright ANSA
